Category Archives: Misc

Ministry Advice in Strange Places: Bill Belichick Versus Julia Child

Posted on February 1, 2019 by smaxreisert

The New England Patriots are bound for yet another Super Bowl. As someone who has been a life-long New Englander (and Pats fan), and is old enough to remember the terrible days of the old Patriots, when a visit to … Continue reading →

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All Together Now?

Posted on November 23, 2018 by smaxreisert

When my husband and I decided to move out to our “camp” (summer house) year-round, after our younger child graduated from high school, we began to think of all of the adjustments we would need to make—a longer commute to … Continue reading →

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Guardians of Community

Posted on November 3, 2018 by smaxreisert

This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about last Saturday’s shooting at the Pittsburgh synagogue. The aftermath of the shooting involved a ritual that I have come to loathe. Each time I do it, I desperately hope it will be … Continue reading →

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Men and Their Marks

Posted on October 8, 2018 by smaxreisert

But Thomas (who was called the Twin*), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.  So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of … Continue reading →

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Please, Evangelical Christians, I Beg You

Posted on July 12, 2018 by smaxreisert

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in … Continue reading →

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Can I Ban Remember When?

Posted on June 19, 2018 by smaxreisert

Like any church with a lot of long-time members, and certainly like any church that is the midst of the Mainline decline, it’s a fairly common occurrence to hear the construction “remember when” at the start of a sentence or … Continue reading →

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The Funny Thing About Numbers

Posted on March 24, 2018 by smaxreisert

A math professor friend of mine likes to joke that real math doesn’t use numbers. The church could use a similar sort of approach. Do real churches need numbers? Attending a Conference meeting at a church about an hour from … Continue reading →

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On Walking Out, Protesting and Making Change

Posted on March 14, 2018 by smaxreisert

Today, high school students from around the country are planning to walk out of their classrooms at 10:00, in remembrance of the students and staff killed in the Parkland shooting and to demand stricter gun control laws—unless they are having … Continue reading →

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Our Children Are Not the Enemy

Posted on February 24, 2018 by smaxreisert

My 18-year-old son is a senior in high school. On the day after the high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, as my son gathered his things to head to school, I went to give him a hug good-bye. He tensed … Continue reading →

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The Ways of Men, and Women, Politics, Power and Morality

Posted on November 25, 2017 by smaxreisert

The explosion of stories regarding sexual harassment and misconduct is unsettling, while it is also a sort of relief. Finally, this issue is getting some important attention. We find ourselves in not really new territory. But, we are certainly in … Continue reading →

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